Inside A Cage
by elvenangel3
Summary: AU. Cloud doesn't regret his actions, his only regret is being put in jail for it. Locked up, hopefully a bit different. Sephiroth/Cloud and Sora and Roxas are in it as twins. Dub-con, mentions of rape and murder. Rated M.
1. Chapter 1

So this is again different from my other stories. Tried my best to keep humor out of it and an overall dark feeling. Um, lets see warnings...they're in prison so the usual squick you get from some such places. Nothing too graphic but there is mention of things like sadism/masochism, dub-con, rape, murder, you get the idea. I also take some artistic license and just say the whole thing is AU cause I have no idea how prisons are ran so I'm just running with my own ideas. And hey it's fanfiction, therefore I can.

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><p>"You're welcome to try." Cloud sneered at the three men stalking into the room behind him.<p>

He had been on his way back to his cell, his 'roommate' was usually out on the grounds at this time of day and the blond had been looking forward to precious time alone. Of course, that was before these three thugs had decided to follow him. Cloud's reputation was such that the leader of the other men paused at his warning, but it didn't stop them ultimately.

Not five minutes later and his attackers were slumped onto the ground unconscious, or near enough to it. Cloud scowled, these idiots wouldn't ever learn. He was pissed, while he had won the fight the scrawny brunette had managed a cut to his forehead. Although, the slice wasn't deep, it was dripping blood and his bangs were now stuck in it, and consequently stuck to his cheek. It was such a pain to get blood out of his blond locks.

"This will take forever." Cloud muttered to himself angrily.

"They were rather uncouth." A familiar voice agreed.

Cloud turned and flashed his companion a small smirk.

"You at least understand about the hair."

Sephiroth showed his canines.

"Quite."

Cloud opened his mouth to speak, but Sephiroth crossed the room in two long strides, grabbed a tight hold of him and kissed him fiercely. Cloud buried one hand tightly in the long strands of silver, and grasped his hip roughly in response. Sephiroth used his height advantage to push Cloud backwards until he hit the wall and ground against him harshly. Cloud broke the kiss to continue his thought.

"I thought you were in solitary for another week?" He asked, voice sounding normal despite their activities.

Sephiroth kept his teeth on the blond's neck as he responded silkily,

"They've learned by now not to keep me locked up too long."

It wasn't the first time Sephiroth had been put into solitary confinement for killing another inmate. This time the rather unfortunate man had walked in on Cloud and Sephiroth making use of the shower together, it had been very messy. Cloud didn't appreciate having extra blood on his hands, even indirectly, since he wasn't the one who had actually killed him. Sephiroth was jailed originally for committing somewhere between five to eight murders (the authorities hadn't been sure), though the Silver Haired Demon had killed at least five more men since then. Cloud didn't ask him for specifics and he didn't volunteer any.

"It was a long month." Cloud muttered.

It was a mutually agreed upon 'affair' between them. Cloud didn't trust Sephiroth by any means, but he knew the man wasn't completely inhuman either. The murders he had committed weren't out of cold blood, nor unvalidated. He was well educated, he simply had a few wires crossed wrong.

His companion didn't respond verbally, he leaned close and started to nibble along Cloud's neck. Nibble was perhaps a tame term for his actions, his teeth didn't break the skin, but only just. Cloud titled his neck allowing the attention. He didn't make a habit of bottoming, no one else besides Sephiroth had topped him in fact. The reasons he let the taller man were simple, first- anyone who actually had the guts to try and dominate Sephiroth ended up spilling said guts across the floor. Literally. Second: They made it into somewhat of a battle, Sephiroth had to overpower Cloud into submission for it was not given freely. Neither used their full force, because once too much blood was spilled sex became a hassle. They did enjoy the chase though.

"Do you still remember who you belong too?" Sephiroth asked him sinking his teeth into Cloud's shoulder.

The blond jerked and sent a hard punch into the other's diaphragm. Sephiroth pulled back to glare with acid green eyes.

"You don't own me." Cloud snapped.

The blond used his grip in silver hair to wrench Sephiroth's head back, making sure he got the point. Instead the rough treatment caused the older man to hiss in pleasure. Sephiroth had strong masochistic and sadistic tendencies. Cloud didn't mind this, except when it interfered with teaching the other man a lesson.

"Forgive me, that was over bounds." Sephiroth purred moving his hands to grip Cloud's hips in a bruising fashion.

Cloud pushed him away with some force, managing to get a few feet of space between them and made to walk past. Sephiroth's hand shot out to wrap around the blond's neck and he slammed him back into the wall, getting a short gasp of pain.

"I wasn't finished." Sephiroth said mildly.

His silver brows pulled low over eyes that flashed in warning. Cloud's blue eyes narrowed in challenge. They both moved at the same time. . .

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><p>"Do you hear something?" A blond glanced at his twin curiously.<p>

Sora cocked his head to the side in contemplation, they both paused in the corridor. A subtle blush came across the brunette's face as he realized the noise they were hearing. The blond, Roxas, darted to the open door and chanced a quick peek at the busy couple. His eyebrows shot to his hairline at the sight he encountered. He quickly signaled his brother to come take a look. Sora did so quietly and was equally surprised.

They backed away quickly and continued on towards their previous destination.

"I had no idea that they-"

"Was that even consensual?"

"The way Strife was-"

"He could fight him off-

"The way Sephiroth-"

"None of our business."

"Right."

They made their way into the cafeteria for lunch. You were given a twenty minute slot to get food, eat and then get out. If you didn't make it, you went hungry until dinner.

The twins never left more than a foot of space between them if they could help it, some of the other inmates liked to try to separate them if they left an opportunity. The two twenty-year-old's waited patiently in line to get food, not that it was anything special.

"If those two don't hurry they won't get fed." Sora said quietly.

"Doesn't matter to me if the Silver Haired Devil eats or not, you know he was just released from solitary. . . again?" Roxas replied.

Their eyes met in some concern, for safety really. You never knew what it would take to piss off someone around you, and they'd go too far. Strife (as everyone knew him) was ballsy to get caught up with that psychopath. Everyone knew what he was 'in for', the prison was almost like a small town in that respect, everyone knew everyone else's business.

The line continued and the brothers grabbed their trays and swiftly sat down at the end table, closest to the door. They tried not to attract too much attention, being small in stature and having rather feminine looks was deadly in a prison. They didn't talk to the other inmates sitting around them. Sora took a large bite of, what they were trying to pass off as meatloaf, and grimaced.

"Well, they aren't missing much." He grumbled.

Roxas took a spoonful of the mush that was supposed to be mashed potatoes and his face turned sour.

"Just because we're criminals doesn't mean that they can starve us." The blond sneered at his food.

"Tell them that." Sora said darkly, shooting a glare at the guards standing around the walls.

The tall officer with dreadlocks, Xaldin, seemed to notice the look and came over to their table with a growl.

"Problem faggot?" The dark man snapped with unnecessary offense.

"Not at all, _sir_. Just saying how amazing the food is today." Sora replied with heavy sarcasm.

Roxas, sitting next to him. put a hand on his leg in warning. It wasn't a good idea to rile up these guards. They were as corrupt as a rotting corpse, and had no conscience.

Xaldin's face darkened and he leaned down to exhale into Sora's face, the brunette would have pulled away from his foul breath but, you never showed weakness.

"Watch your mouth." He growled.

"But I can't see my mouth-"

Roxas yanked Sora backwards off the bench with him before Xaldin's nightstick could strike him across the face. They scrambled away as the angry guard came after them swearing loudly. This attracted exactly the kind of unwanted attention the two tried to avoid. Nearly every man in the cafeteria, guard and inmate alike were watching now, as they tore out of the room with Xaldin on their heels.

"Get back here! Little smart-ass you won't be laughing when I get a hold of you!" The guard shouted as he chased them down the hall.

Roxas kept a tight hold on Sora's wrist as they sprinted away and down a side corridor. Hallow Bastion prison was the largest on the continent and they took full advantage of the labyrinthine passages. A strong hand suddenly appeared from a doorway and grabbed at Roxas's shirt. The arm it was attached to yanked the two brother's behind the door and closed it quickly and quietly. They had just turned the corner and with luck Xaldin hadn't seen where they had gone.

It was fairly dark in the room and Roxas pulled Sora behind him protectively, he had had only a second to make the decision to leave Sora with Xaldin or risk this unknown man's presence. His fears were somewhat relieved as they heard a soft chuff of a laugh from their rescuer.

"Can't go ten minutes without getting into trouble huh?"

"What do you want Axel?" Roxas snapped in annoyance.

This guy just wouldn't give up. They glared up at the tall outline of spiky hair.

"This kind of thing wouldn't happen to you guys if you joined my gang you know." Axel said turning serious.

"No thanks." Sora said roughly, he turned to open the door but Axel's hand came out and landed slightly above his. Sora drew his arm back quickly.

"He might still be out there," the tall red-head said casually, and leaned against their only way out.

"We already explained this to you." Roxas said slowly.

He didn't think Axel would hurt them, but he didn't trust the guy as far as he could throw him either.

"Not choosing a gang is a really stupid move you know." Axel continued as if Roxas hadn't spoken.

The gang leader reached out towards the blond, with unknown intent, but Sora backed them away hastily.

"We aren't joining your stupid gang so you can fuck him whenever you want to." Sora snarled.

"Just pointing this out short stuff," Axel said smoothly as he stepped away from the door and closer to them, "I wouldn't have to try too hard if I wanted to fuck him, underling or not." His voice was deceptively calm.

"You'd be out cold if you tried." Sora said with venom.

Roxas squeezed his hand.

"If you really think so." Axel agreed easily.

His moods shifted faster than water over glass. They sometimes wondered if he wasn't bipolar and that was why he snapped and burned that apartment complex down with the tenants still inside.

The red-head stepped away from the door, opened it without any hesitation and left without another word. They shared a look and followed slowly, in the opposite direction. Now they had two people to avoid for a while. Although really, nearly the entire population surrounding them was best avoided. Strife was the only one who seemed like a decent human being, his story still hadn't been spread yet.

The two made their way to Group Therapy, it was mandatory every week. Supposedly, it was to help the criminals regain their sense of humanity and lead them to good behavior for their release back into society. Often, the inmates simply regaled their fellows with stories of their crimes in vivid detail that left none as to wondering whether they were actually guilty or not.

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><p>After a painful, yet enjoyable fucking against the wall, Cloud had left Sephiroth to try and grab a quick bite before the cafeteria closed. He had seen the twins running away from the guard and secretly hoped they escaped unscathed. Cloud had a bit of a soft spot for those two. It was the nature of what they were in for, he felt they were kindred spirits.<p>

After five minutes of rushed eating, Cloud followed two other men across the complex to Group Therapy. The hard plastic chairs were set in the usual circle, and he sat down in one on the opposite side of the door so he could see everyone that came in. He never sat with his back to a door if he could help it.

Sure enough, not ten uncomfortable minutes later, the two brothers came in looking no worse for wear. Sora greeted him with a small smirk, Roxas simply nodded discreetly at him. It wasn't wise to let others know your allies if you didn't have to.

"Now that everyone is here," the therapist, an ice cold blond named Vexen, glared pointedly at the twins, "Shall we start?"

The assorted group of criminals shuffled around in their seats and avoided eye contact, much like any circle of people will do when it's against their will.

"Let's see. . . Strife, why don't you share your story? We haven't yet heard what crime you committed and were sentenced for." Vexen said calmly.

Cloud supposed working with prisoners day in and day out made one rather desensitized to everything. He scowled at the therapist. There was a reason he was content with no one knowing what had landed him in here. His sentence was for seven years, he had been here for only six months and already felt his mind starting to crumble from boredom. With an inward sigh Cloud said in short, clipped tones,

"A man raped my sister. She told me who it was and I went and found the bastard. I walked away, he didn't."

Out of his peripheral view Cloud saw the twins share an unreadable look. He ignored everyone else.

"Are you sure that's all?" Vexen pressed.

The more sadistic and brutal an inmate was, the more work -and ultimately esteem- Vexen got out of it so he was rather put off at the lack of violence.

"Yes." Cloud said coldly.

Vexen pursed his lips but called on the next criminal to delve into his reasons for his crime. Cloud glared at the man sitting across from him, he couldn't think of any sane reason why someone would murder an old couple sitting in their home. Coming to Group always left the blond with the feeling of his skin crawling in disgust.


	2. Chapter 2

I lied, there is a sex scene in this that's a little graphic I guess, it's at the end anywho so you can just not read it if you don't want to.

It was a little while later that Vexen dismissed those assembled and they left to go out to the yard. Cloud followed at a leisurely pace, in no hurry to be outside with the general populace.

"Strife!" One of the twins called from behind him.

Cloud paused and turned to let the two younger cons catch up with him. They stayed a few feet away which was usual, yet closer than most came to him-with one notable exception. He rose an eyebrow in question.

"We just wanted to say-"

"Even though you had to go to jail for it-"

"It was very noble-"

"Brave,"

"Gallant?"

"Of you to do that for your sister."

They finished their collective though process with fresh respect shining in their eyes. Cloud dipped his head in a nod.

"I figured you two would understand." He responded.

Both sets of blue eyes sharpened and guarded themselves.

"Very much so." Was the unanimous answer.

Sora and Roxas gave Cloud a parting nod then left him alone in the hallway. Cloud considered the retreating figures with curiosity. The reason those two were in prison was similar to the reason Cloud was, only more tragic. It was commonly known that one of the brothers had been raped, and consequently the man responsible was murdered. No one knew which brother had been abused, nor which one had killed their abuser. Their genome was identical and while it was clear that only one person had committed the crime they wouldn't tell authorities who was responsible.

The system was corrupt enough that instead of letting a vengeance killer, who was only protecting his brother (or perhaps himself though knowing how the two treated one another that was unlikely) go free, they had locked up both of them. The overpaid lawyer going against the two, had figured that once inside the reality of prison the innocent one would give the other up to save themselves. The twins had been 'in' for nearly a year already, and showed no signs of breaking.

At first, Cloud had figured on Sora being the one who had been raped and Roxas had killed the offender, though after some time near them he almost bet on the opposite being true. Many had asked them, but they never answered a single question. A look of profound pain and sadness came over their faces, before shutters would close over their eyes and then turn away. He could relate well.

Lost in his thoughts Cloud was almost surprised when Lexaeus, one of the more imposing guards came up behind him suddenly.

"Visitor." The brutish man's gravelly voice said.

One word was more than he usually spoke. Inwardly wondering about the large brunette's IQ, he turned to follow the guard down to the front of the prison. There was one large room filled with a couple tables for the rare occasion someone on the outside wanted to visit a con. It was rare because, for the most part the population of Hallow Bastion were the worst of the worst. Most normal people didn't keep in contact with convicted murderers.

The spiky haired blond waited patiently for Lexaeus to clap handcuffs around his wrists for 'safety reasons'. When a criminal was lucky enough to get a visitor, they didn't fuck it up by attacking said person, but the warden liked to look good to the public. There was no glass in the door separating Cloud from the room in front of him, even though they had passed through several security doors already. Lexaeus gave him the usual warning on 'behavior' before he buzzed the door open and allowed him into the room.

The room was monitored by video and audio, yet you could whisper and the mics wouldn't pick up on it. The guard only entered the room if someone started showing signs of violence, but once they did it was usually too late by that point. Cloud didn't bother trying to figure out the system's inner workings.

A slow, pleased smile spread across his face when the blond saw the girl waiting patiently at the large table. Rikku stood up with a soft look and as soon as the door closed behind him, came forward instantly. Cloud raised his chained hands (no higher than his chest or they would think he was getting violent) and his sister ducked to slip under them. Rikku buried her face in his shoulder and her arms came up to hug him tightly. Cloud lightly rested his hands on her back, trying not to let the cold metal touch her skin, because it was summer and Rikku always wore the least amount of clothing possible. It was something that the older brother inside of Cloud hated.

"I miss you." Rikku said quietly into his shirt.

Cloud lay his cheek on top of her head and sighed.

"I know."

His sister had never fully forgiven him for killing her rapist, because it took her brother away from her. The two blonds' parents had died several years previously and they were the only family each other had. Cloud didn't regret his actions, but he wished he could still take care of her.

"Are they treating you okay in here?" She asked and pulled away slightly to look up into his face.

Cloud showed her slight amusement, she knew he would lie and say yes, yet she always asked.

"I'm fine Rikku." He told her warmly.

His sister was the only person on the planet that knew him anymore, the only one he would let his guard down around. It wasn't feasible to around anyone on the 'inside', and everyone else had abandoned them when he went to jail. Rikku had been forced to quit her job, move out of her apartment make all new friends, being careful not to mention his incarceration. It just proved they were better off not trusting anyone.

"I brought you a birthday cake." Rikku said with trace amounts of her usual spunk.

Cloud grinned to himself, his birthday wasn't for a week, but his sister liked to spoil him. Every time she came to visit him she always brought a dessert, along with whatever excuse she came up with to feed it to him. The last time it had been brownies because of the 'awful weather'. He let her indulge him, it was the only regular interaction he got anymore. Rikku slipped back out of his arms and proudly gestured to the chocolate cake that declared 'Happy Birthday' in bright green icing.

"Thanks." Cloud said fondly.

The siblings were silent for a few minutes as they ate his cake on paper plates with plastic spoons, even plastic forks were banned from Hallow Bastion. As hard as they tried to pretend things were normal, their surroundings always brought them back to harsh reality.

"Do you need me to bring you anything?" Rikku asked him, setting her spoon down a little melancholy.

"I'm almost out of conditioner." He mumbled.

This was said with the barest amount of audibility and slight embarrassment. Technically a killer though he was, Cloud was every bit the man he had been six months ago. Rikku gave him a warm smile and even managed a slight giggle.

"Okay."

At least he had cheered her up slightly. Cloud wasn't sure if his sister's broken spirit was a result of her assault or in part because of his incarceration. He had never worked up the nerve to ask, afraid of it being his fault.

Lexaeus only gave them twenty more minutes before knocking on the door, signaling the visit was over. Cloud kept his temper in front of Rikku with effort. Bastards cut their visits shorter each time.

The shorter blond once again ducked under his handcuffs to hug him tightly. Cloud heard a distinct sniffle from his sister but didn't comment. He soothingly rubber her back and she got herself under control. He gave his sister a soft, sad kind of smile, the only thing he could produce at the moment. She responded with one of her own. Rikku only grudgingly left Cloud's embrace when Lexaeus came into the room with a scowl.

"See you next week, big brother." Rikku whispered with glassy eyes.

Cloud nodded with tight lips, his sister turned and left with composure. He turned a nasty glare on the guard next to him, and exited back towards the prison with contempt. He barely slowed enough to allow the brute to take his cuffs off, then he was gone, back to his cell. Hopefully his roommate was there, Reno was always good for a fight.

The next day, Cloud had just finished showering and was still wearing his towel, when a flash of silver caught his eye.

"I didn't see you at dinner." Sephiroth commented, stepping into view to lean against the wall opposite.

"Wasn't hungry." Cloud responded stiffly.

The blond was still angry about yesterdays events. After a lengthy spare with Reno, Cloud had simply laid down on his cot and hadn't moved. They didn't get in trouble for fighting between inmates, it was only if you killed someone that you were sent to solitary. Reno had slumped off to nurse his wounds and left the angsty blond alone.

"Did it have something to do with your meeting yesterday?" Sephiroth continued despite his tone.

The Silver-Haired Demon never cared about pushing someone's boundaries and Cloud was not exempt from this. The shorter man sent the other a frosty look.

"That's none of your fucking business." He snarled.

Sephiroth stepped forward into his personal space, out of habit Cloud backed away and hit the wall. Sephiroth brought his hand up to grip his chin firmly.

"I say it is." He said simply.

It was beyond infuriating trying to start a fight with the taller bastard. He never raised his voice, you only knew he was angry from his actions. His words and tone were never less than civil and cultured. Cloud reached out to slide his hands under the hem of Sephiroth's shirt and dug his nails into the soft tissue of his sides, hard. Sephiroth's lip twitched and he forced his knee between Cloud's legs.

"I'm not in the mood." Cloud said, though his actions were saying otherwise.

"I don't care." Sephiroth answered boldly.

Cloud decided that maybe the fight with Reno hadn't been enough to get rid of his residual wrath from the previous day. Sephiroth gave him an outlet no one ever had before, and he was willing to take full advantage. Sephiroth was only too happy to meet his demands with his own.

Their standoff quickly dissolved into harsher and more painful scratches and bites. Anywhere they could harm or bruise the other to try and get the upper hand, the two men did. Kissing was rough and blood letting, teeth were attached to pale neck columns without care. Only after Sephiroth had thrown him into the wall several times, did Cloud relent enough to let him remove his towel. While brutal in their coupling, Sephiroth did make sure to at least stretch him minimally, since he couldn't very well fuck him everyday if he did not.

Sephiroth took only a moment to bring his fingers to his mouth and wet them before he found Cloud's entrance and shoved two digits inside. The blond groaned and gripped his arms hard enough to blossom dark purple indents. Cloud leaned up to capture Sephiroth's lips in a kiss before biting his lip, drawing more blood. He felt the killer's grin from the attention and another finger breached him without warning. The long slim fingers dug deep and Cloud writhed when they found his soft spot.

"_Fuck_." The blond growled.

Without further warning, Sephiroth yanked his fingers out, lifted one of the blond's legs and slammed himself into the tight body. Cloud pulled his face away with a shout and panted as the taller male allowed him no time to adjust. Sephiroth set a hard fast pace, pounding into his body repeatedly. The cement wall to his back making every thrust forward grind him between the two. Cloud could only moan.

Uninterrupted this time, the two criminals fucked each other into oblivion. Despite their fast pace, it was a while before either let themselves give in to the mounting pleasure. There was no mutual cry of names in their moments of orgasm, only a quiet groan and an open mouthed, utterly silent scream. Afterwords, they broke apart with no gentleness. Making use of the faucets around them, they rinsed off and left the showers without another word spoken. That was what both preferred.

This is all I have written at the moment and I'm thinking of just leaving this story open for when I feel like writing something a little dark. What do you think?


	3. Chapter 3

A few hours later, Cloud was sitting on his cot working his way through a crossword book Rikku had left him during her last visit. He made sure to only do a page a day to make it last longer. Seemingly occupied with his puzzle as he was, his head snapped up quickly when he sensed someone coming to a stop outside his cell. He straightened and looked curiously at the twins who were glancing around cautiously.

"May we come in?" Sora asked with some urgency.

Not asking permission before entering a fellow con's unlocked cell usually resulted in a stabbing. Animals they might be labeled, there were still codes to follow. Cloud gave them a curt nod and they stepped inside and sat on Reno's empty cot.

"You haven't seen Xaldin around have you?" Roxas asked anxiously.

Cloud was mildly concerned, he knew the guard still had it in for the younger brothers.

"Not since yesterday." He replied, watching them.

Sora was discreetly wringing his hands in his lap, while Roxas kept darting a glance at the hallway every few seconds.

"He didn't find you once lights were out?" Cloud asked since they seemed ready to not say anything more.

They shook their heads together.

"We snuck into the laundry closet by the security door, no one found us there." Roxas explained sounding strained.

While their cells were shut at lights out, they remained unlocked. The guards wouldn't be able to torment prisoners if they couldn't get into their cells. Only the warden and his right hand had a set of keys to the cell block locks, as well as the door into solitary. One could only assume too many deaths occurred otherwise, if the regular guards were given infinite reign.

"What brings you in here?" Cloud asked finally.

Sora caught Roxas's eye, then turned to face him looking determined.

"Can we stay here for a bit?" He asked.

Cloud could feel the sigh he wanted to let out, exhaling through his nose instead. He really didn't need any more drama, though his conscience wouldn't just let them be beaten up by Xaldin if he could help it.

"Fine. You get to tell Reno he has to find somewhere else to sleep." Was his one condition.

The twins blinked, Sora bit his lip uncertainly, but they both nodded in thanks. Cloud went back to his crossword and tried to ignore them. The brothers laid down to catch up on some much needed sleep, one doesn't sleep well stuck in a closet for eight hours.

A few hours later and they were approaching lights out. Reno had indeed come by a short time earlier and was rebuffed with threats coated in sugary sweetness, and told to 'piss off' until morning. The red-head had grumbled a bit but left without much fuss.

Sure enough, a loud buzzer sounded throughout the complex and all but the needed security lights clicked off. It was somewhat eery to look down the long hallways of steel bars only barely lit enough not to run into a wall. Cloud stuffed his crossword under his thin mattress and tried to punch his pillow into a comfortable position. Tucking the flimsy blanket around himself, he could just make out the other occupants lying close together and heard them whispering quietly. It wasn't enough to keep him from sleep, so Cloud felt himself doze off rather quickly.

He was snapped awake what felt like a couple hours later, by the sound of the cell door sliding open and then slamming closed. His eyes adjusting to the semi-darkness after sleep, he saw the twins glance around at their intruder and let out cries of exclamation. Xaldin wasted no time in darting forward with his nightstick raised high, the two scrambled off the cot before it struck the mattress with a dull thud. Cursing, Cloud ripped out of his bedding and grabbed Roxas, who was closest and pushed him back.

He knew that fatally injuring a guard added years onto your sentence, so Cloud quickly thought through his options. They would have to be careful to only knock out the brute. This would be tricky. Xaldin had spun and was backing Sora into the other corner. Roxas tried to get past Cloud but he none-too-gently pushed him away and dove forward to grab Xaldin's wrist that was holding his weapon. Xaldin growled and turned to grapple with Cloud over it.

Cloud could just make out Roxas beckoning to Sora to get out of the line of fire. He grabbed the guard's other hand that came up to snatch at the brunette and struggled to keep himself from being wounded, or hurting the asshole he was fighting with. Sora ducked and darted past them at the same time Xaldin slammed his boot into Cloud's shin and his grip faltered so the dreadlocked guard could whip his weapon across Sora's face. Roxas shouted the same time his brother gave a cry and spilled to the floor.

Cloud cursed again and threw himself forward to headbutt Xaldin into the wall behind them. The bigger man fell back from the impact and Cloud tried to keep him there. Roxas dashed forward to pull Sora away from the scuffle and turned his face towards the lights to see the damage. Blood was covering his face and he seemed a little dazed but okay otherwise.

"Strife-" Roxas started angrily.

"Get out of here!" Cloud snarled over his shoulder as he dodged a punch from Xaldin.

They didn't need telling twice; the twins threw open the cell door, Xaldin gave a roar of rage and then sprinted off down the hallway. Cloud caught that damned nightstick in his stomach for his trouble, Xaldin shoved him backwards and Cloud tripped onto his cot, out of breath. Xaldin growled out something that was probably a threat mingled with curse words, his furious tone making the words garble together, then took off after the brothers.

Cloud let his head fall back and winced as his clocked himself on the bars, ironic that he was only trying to help. Cloud had glimpsed the blood on Sora's face and hoped he would be alright, he knew there was no chance he could catch up with them at this point. The twins knew the best hiding spots anyway, more than likely Xaldin would search for them until daylight and come up empty handed. The blond rearranged his bedding and hoped the damn brute didn't come back to his cell, he could really do with some sleep.

Roxas kept a tight hold on Sora as they tore out of Cloud's cell and ran towards the cafeteria. They made sure not the slam the door as they whipped through it and made their way behind the serving counter and darted down to the closet holding all the cleaning supplies. They used to use the food pantry until the guards figured out to put a padlock on the door. Roxas jammed the lock, set his swaying brother gently out of the way and started grabbing haphazardly at anything heavy to bar the door with. After a few minutes frantic work, the blond was fairly sure that Xaldin would not be able to get through, even if he did find them.

Roxas was glad for the small security lights in this room as well, he forced Sora to sit on an upturned bucket so he would inspect the damage. The wound itself was not too bad and he sighed in relief, he was afraid that stitches would have been required, that would have meant searching out a guard to ask for medical attention. It was unwanted in any circumstance, the only time you would willing go was if you were actually bleeding out.

Sora mumbled something quietly, but Roxas for once couldn't make sense of it.

"Hold on Sora." He said softly.

Roxas spent a moment searching for a clean towel and found one to press against his brother's face. Xaldin had struck him across the cheek and he wiped up the excess blood while keeping pressure on the wound.

"Does it hurt badly?" He asked.

"No. My head kinda hurts though." Sora muttered and leaned into his hands.

Roxas moved closer so Sora could lean against his body because he looked like he would slide off the bucket otherwise. Worry about a concussion slipped through his mind, so Roxas started to talk about anything he could think of to get Sora to stay awake.

"That was really good of Strife to look after us like that huh?" He said into the small closet.

"Mmm." Sora agreed.

* * *

><p>Hours later, Roxas assumed it was morning but was still unsure about unblocking the door. After a while he had felt safe letting Sora get some sleep, he was curled up in the corner in a light doze. The scratch on his face didn't look so bad now, although was there was a decent looking bruise over his cheek. The blond yawned and stretched, trying to make himself more comfortable against the wall.<p>

Then he heard the sound of approaching footsteps on the tile outside the door. Roxas bolted up and backed away as he heard someone picking the lock on the other side.

"Sora." He whispered and took a step back to shake his brother awake.

The brunette became instantly alert, a side effect of living around dangerous criminals. They shared a worried look as they heard the lock pop open. Hoping that Xaldin wasn't strong enough to move the door with the debris in the way, they were surprised and concerned when the door started to push in. The man on the other side, (they couldn't hear any other noise or voices) finding the way encumbered started kicking at the door.

It only took three kicks for the clutter to fall away and the man forced his way into the closet. He casually shifted the mess off to the side and leaned against the door with a predatory look on his face. It wasn't Xaldin, that was the only thing that could be said at this point.

"I find it vexing when someone else disrupts my business." Sephiroth said, his voice was cool and calm but they saw his green eyes flash.

Sora stood up slowly off the floor and Roxas moved away further to press against the wall. The Silver-Haired Devil was the most dangerous man inside the entire prison, including any guards and the warden. Roxas couldn't bring himself to protest verbally when Sora moved so he was slightly in front of his twin.

"I'm sure Strife is okay." Sora offered with only trace amounts of uncertainly.

"Oh, he will live, yes indeed." Sephiroth brushed this off. "The fact that he is injured at all interferes with my day. The two of you are at fault for this."

"We won't go near him anymore, is that what you want?" Sora asked.

Sephiroth's cat-like eyes flicked over their forms, lingering slightly on Roxas and the blond gripped Sora's arm tightly. He moved away from the door fluidly, leaving only a handful of feet between himself and the door and them to him.

"That would be sufficient for now yes." He answered.

"For now?" Roxas echoed warily.

Sephiroth showed his canines but didn't say anything further. He held them there waiting for several tense moments, then slid one step sideways to let them pass. Not trusting this gesture, Sora never-the-less slowly moved forward, Roxas following inches behind. The killer in front of them made no move, but watched closely from his superior height.

Sora had made it to the door and pulled the handle further open to slip on the other side, when Sephiroth moved quick as a flash between them and slammed the door shut, trapping Roxas inside. Sora immediately pounded on the other side growling obscenities through the wood, but Sephiroth flicked the lock cool as you please. Roxas beat a few hurried steps away while he advanced forwards, pinning the blond against the wall by sheer force of will.

Roxas couldn't bring himself to say anything to his furious twin on the outside, who he could tell was dissolving into frustrated tears. He kept his eyes on his enemy and watched as Sephiroth slowly lifted a hand to run a pale finger down his cheek.

"You should be aware, that if something permanent were to happen to Strife," the Silver Haired Demon spoke with a chilled tone that made the hairs on Roxas's neck stand up. He slipped his hand up suddenly to grab a handful of blond spikes and wrenched his head back so he could lower his face an inch from Roxas's, all he saw was deep acid green pupils. "You would be his replacement."

Fear slithered down his spine and Roxas shuddered with it. Sephiroth's words were a benediction and a promise, there would be no disputing it as fact. He was clearly waiting for some kind of response from the younger inmate, so Roxas forced himself to nod briefly despite the painful grip on his hair. Seemingly satisfied his point had been made, Sephiroth backed towards the door and whisked it open to reveal an anguished Sora.

Not wanting to give Sephiroth any more chances to threaten them, Roxas forced himself passed the psychopath and clasped his brother tightly by the arm. They left the cafeteria as fast as they could without running, but the pretense was transparent and anyone walking by would be able to tell they were retreating from a threat at a glance. Sora was watching his face closely, but Roxas couldn't tell if he had heard Sephiroth's word or not because of the low tone he had spoken in.

They made their back to the shared cell they claimed as their own and all but collapsed onto the thin cots. Roxas forced himself to calm down, he would be fine as long as nothing happened to Strife. Sora was visibly pulling himself under control as well, he looked over Roxas with intense scrutiny at the same time.

"What did that maniac say to you?" He demanded in hushed tones.

Roxas shook his head, it might have been easier for Sora to have heard the threat himself, for he would not be happy to know that Roxas had no intention of telling him. His expression said it was nothing but his eyes glanced away and he felt unnaturally cold.

"Don't give me that bullshit Rox." He snapped while keeping his voice quiet.

Despite the lights being back on now, they were leery to make too much noise in case Xaldin was still on the prowl.

"It's nothing we need to worry about right now, okay? We just need to stay away from Strife . . . and make sure nothing happens to him." He barely mumbled the last bit aloud and Sora narrowed his eyes.

"You will tell me if it becomes a problem." It was not a question.

Roxas nodded tiredly. The brunette relented then and they agreed to take turns napping in case someone tried to catch them unawares. Roxas curled on the mat opposite the bars and closed his eyes, trying everything he could not to think about the horrible possibility of becoming Sephiroth's fucktoy.


End file.
